Artist Portrait: Yuja Wang

Is it just me, or does it seem as if Yuja Wang (王羽佳) came out of nowhere to take the world by storm? I cannot think of another classical music artist who has had a similar meteoric rise to fame. Her accomplishments within these past two years can be read as those of a seasoned artist: she received the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant this year, which has been awarded in the past to renown artists such as violinist Gil Shaham, cellist Peter Wiley, and clarinetist Richard Stoltzman; barely a year since the release of her debut recording, she has already scored a Grammy Award nomination in the category Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra); she is now playing more than 100 concerts a year and is booked until the end 2013; and amongst her fans are luminaries of the classical music world, such as legendary pianist Martha Argerich, who was quoted saying "I normally stay away piano concerts because the majority play everything as if every note should have the same level of intensity [but] Yuja is very different: her shaded dynamic readings are wonderful."

From her website, we learn this 23 year-old Beijing native started playing at the age of six and studied at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. She moved to Canada in 2001 to further her studies at the Mount Royal College Conservatory. In 2002, she won the Aspen Music Festival's concerto competition and moved to the United States to study with Gary Graffman at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Arguably, her biggest break came in March of 2007 when she replaced the ailing Martha Argerich in a subscription series, performing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No.1 with Charles Dutoit conducting the Boston SO with ecstatic reviews.

I have never been a huge fan of the other two well-known Chinese pianists. Lang Lang's artistry, which has its moments, are oftentimes detracted by his garish acts of showmanship onstage. Yundi Li (rebranded Yundi) is almost the antithesis of Lang Lang, oftentimes too reserved and lacking fire in his playing. Yuja Wang is seemingly the perfect balance of the two, Goldilocks' "just right" choice. It is no surprise then that her style of playing is highly reminiscent of both Argerich and Vladimir Horowitz. Her readings always carry a heightened sense of emotional volatility and her finger technique is dexterous and flawless to the point of being impossibly so. Watch this video of her playing Horowitz's Concert Paraphrase on Mozart's Rondo alla Turca for fun backstage.

By no means does this mean she is only a technical workhorse. Some reviewers have criticized that her concert programming and playing focus too heavily to showcase her technical ability instead of her musical ability. However, similar critiques have been erroneously levied upon the great violinist Jascha Heifetz. Just close your eyes when you listen to Wang's performance and you will experience a tornado of musicality and emotions. Take a look at her performance at the Verbier Festival. The transcriptions of Schubert lieder to start shows how strongly she feels about is able to maintain the melodic line, creating long phrases as if the piano is a bowed instrument in her hands. On her newest album, titled Transformation, she presents a thoughtfully prepared program ranging from Scarlatti to Ravel. Of the performances, her reading of Stravinsky's Three Movements from Petrouchka, is simply the best I have ever heard. Like Argerich said, Wang's playing is full of shading, from the silly and playful opening to the macabre ending. Having already been awarded Deutsche Gramophone's Recording of the Month, I wouldn't be surprised if this album will be nominated for another Grammy.

Much to my disappointment, I missed Yuja's much heralded San Francisco performances at Davies and Herbst Hall this past season but I will be eagerly awaiting her return. In the meantime, recordings and live video recordings will suffice.